Southern Showcase

This morning, JP and his MBA team ran in the Southern Showcase in Huntsville, AL.  Traditionally, it's the premier high school cross country race in the south, as it attracts some of the best teams from nine or 10 states.  This year, for example, Belen Jesuit out of Miami, FL - one of the best high school teams in the country this year - was there and had runners finish 1-2-3.  Quite an impressive feat.

I stayed home with Joe and Jude drove down last night for the race.  I hated like hell to miss the race but I went with JP to the Cecil Field Summer Classic saw him run in the Chickasaw Trails Invitational last week.  To be honest, too, I'm a little superstitious.  JP has run his best races when I wasn't there, so I thought my staying here might change his luck on a course at John Hunt Park where he hasn't run his best in the past.

Did it work?  That I don't know.  What I do know, though, is that JP finished 10th out of 241 runners and ran a blazing 15:08.  He ran out of gas the last 10 yards or so and a couple of Tennessee runners, Trey Bailey (Greenville High School) and Tommy Babbit (Maryville High School) nipped him at the finish line.  Still, a great run in hot and humid weather and only four second off his PR of 15:04.    

I watched the entire race live on a video feed, which was excruciating.  I could see, after the first mile, that Marcelo Mantecon (Belen Jesuit Prep) was going to win handily, which he did.  I desperately wanted JP to stay connected with the lead group after Marcelo, which he was able to do.  That made all the difference, I think, in his pace and time, and enabled him to run one of his best races ever, all things considered.  

JP is hunting a time below 15:00 and before the season is over, I think he will get it.  

For the season, so far, he's finished 6th, 1st, and 10th, which is none too shabby.  Next weekend, he and I are visiting Davidson College and Elon University, which should be informative and fun.  

After JP's race, I got my three mile run in before it got too hot.  It was funny - I ran through the Ronald McDonald House 5k on Fairfax.  Joe just got back from his three mile run.  His fall cross country season ends next week with the HVAC Championship Meet.